12:17 PM, March 31, 2014

Lions new head coach Jim Caldwell. / Julian H. Gonzalez/DFP

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Jim Caldwell was signing autographs and posing for pictures with a couple dozen well wishers after an early-morning appearance on “Mike and Mike” when a bearded fan eating a breakfast burrito a few feet away asked out loud when he was going to bring a Super Bowl to Detroit.

Caldwell flashed a toothy smile, held his right thumb high in the air and went back to greeting the crowd in front of him.

Even on Opening Day, a holiday for baseball fans everywhere, the first-year Lions coach found that football is never far from mind in Detroit.

“I think it’s great,” Caldwell told reporters a few minutes later on his way out of Ford Field. “That’s one thing you find, there are great, passionate fans here that have great expectations and high expectations, and I think that’s far better than apathy so I’m excited about it.”

With a week until players report for the start of the off-season program, Caldwell planned to spend today at Comerica Park for the Tigers’ opener against the Kansas City Royals.

Already in his first few months on the job, he’s attended Michigan State basketball and Pistons games, and he said last week at the NFL owners meetings he hopes to get to a Red Wings game before long, too.

A Chicago Cubs fan growing up in Beloit, Wis., Caldwell wore a Tigers hat and black fleece pullover today, and he said he was looking forward to his first Opening Day game since the first game at Camden Yards in 1992.

“Back in the days when I was growing up, (baseball) was truly a summer pastime for everybody,” Caldwell said. “I think almost everyone in our community participated in minor league, little league, Babe Ruth and then Legion. I enjoyed it. Had a lot of fun and played and it’s an enjoyable game.”

Caldwell said he played shortstop and third base, pitched some and even played center field growing up like his father’s favorite player, Willie Mays.

He hasn’t had an opportunity to meet new Tigers manager Brad Ausmus yet, but Caldwell said he hopes the two have an opportunity to catch up soon.

“I’m happy to be here today to get an opportunity to see the guys play,” Caldwell said. “Opening day is a very, very special time. And Brad’s kind of in the same situation that I’m in. He’s new and has an opportunity to obviously lead a team that has a lot of promise and very, very high expectations.”

A few more tidbits from Caldwell’s talk with reporters today:

■ On whether the Lions have any interest in drafting Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan: “We certainly obviously know who he is and how good he is. There’s no question about the fact that he’s one of those guys that’s being heavily sought after at this point in time. Talented guy.”

■ On signing safety James Ihedigbo: “Really was a great acquisition for us. We were certainly glad he’s with us. He brings a lot to the table. He’s a very fine player, had a very good years for us there at Baltimore, he has a good sense of the system. (Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has) worked with him. And he’s also, besides the fact that he’s a very fine player, he’s an extremely good leader, does a great job of setting the tone and pace, practices extremely hard. Very intelligent player as well.”

■ On why it took more than a week to sign Ihedigbo after he took a free-agent visit to Detroit: “As long as you get it done, that’s what counts, right? It doesn’t matter how long it takes or what all the parameters are on what happens. It can get complicated sometimes, particularly when there’s a lot of interest in a person. But in the long run we were able to get it done. Martin (Mayhew) did a great job.”